5-2

From 1-2 to 5-2, my fantasy football team has climbed out of the basement to breath the first place air. Thans for your prayers.

WWCD?

What Would Clark Do?

Protege Program

Thinking about it

Religion & Politics

Listening to a speech by Barack Obama. Interesting.

Kryptonian

Oh yeah, I downloaded Kryptonian font…

life

Getting Your House in Order: Pastoral Qualifications

A church I know has been looking for a pastor for some time. Trying to be of help to them I offered not only to speak for them if they needed me too, but I also thought I would recommend one of the best pastoral candidates, I think, to them.

I’ve known this guy for, well let’s see, it’s been close to 14 years now. He’s one of those types of guys who is “all in”, know what I mean? He has one of the biggest, if not the biggest, hearts I know; he’d do anything for anyone. I know he’d take a bullet for me. He’d do the same for a stranger.

As far as integrity, well, he’s been bluntly honest with me in our relationship, even at the expense of almost causing our relationship to end on several occassions. Anyway, before I go making this guy seem to be perfect, let me just get to the point. The troubling point for me.

This guy, for all his “perfections” ended up being with a girl whom a lot of people thought he shouldn’t be with. I thought he knew what he was doing, but I had people tell me that if he didn’t choose the right girl this could ruin his ministry. Evidently whom you marry carries a lot of weight with how your ministry will go.

Anyway, this girl, his bride, ended up being a lot worse than she let on. You name it, she did it. I mean, I’m no chovanistic pig by any stretch of the imagination, but even her lack of submission to him, not just as her husband, but as a man, a human, was…appauling. Addictions? Yeah, she had her share – physical & mental. Foul mouthed at times, rude, and how she raised their kids…yikes.

***

“But, he stayed with her…doesn’t that say something about what kind of man he is?” I asked this church’s pastoral committee.

“Of course it says a lot, Toby, but you know what the Bible says…”

“I know, I know – “if a man can’t rule his own home how can he the church of God – but,” I injected, “but, can that be what it means? That even though this guys wife isn’t what she should be, to say the least, that he should be disqualified to be your church’s pastor?”

“We believe so, yes.”

“I think that’s…that’s stuPID,” my voiced raised at the end. I didn’t realize how hot I was getting over this discussion. The looks on their faces showed me that they wouldn’t be calling on me to fill their pulpit any time never.

“Well, Toby, thank you for your imput, and your help has been appreciated. We’ll be in touch with you if we need to call upon you to speak for us one of this coming Sundays.”

Yeah, right. “Th..thanks. I just…I just think you should give him some more thought and prayer. You guys mean a lot to me, and I know I kinda got hot headed, but this guy is a good friend of mine, and I’m telling you, I think he’s the man you’re looking for.”

The mood softened a bit.

“At least take his name and contact information and look into him yourself,” I offered, thinking it was my last shot.

“Okay, who is he? What’s his name,” the committee chairman said, clicking his pen and readying his hand to write on the pad of yellow paper on his lap.

“Um,” I said nervously. “His name is…Jesus Christ.”

Another One Bites the Dust

So I performed my friend’s wedding today. It was pretty short notice, but in the end it was a very nice outdoor wedding with very close family and friends gathered to celebrate in their union.

I am doing another wedding next weekend for another good friend in Grayling. I’m really looking forward to this one because I’ll get to see some people I haven’t seen in a long time there…

Providence, Chastisement and Every Day Life

About ten years ago I had an interesting summer, which some have come to call, “the summer o’ sin.” Any way, that yearI bought a new car, which financially, I shouldn’t have done, and I did it because I had broken up with my girlfriend and said, “what the hey, I’m going to get a hot car and enjoy myself.”

That evidently is frowned upon in Christian circles, because when the transmission went on it, I was told by some, even those close to me, that God’s chastening hand was upon me for 1) buying the car, and for 2) how I was living. Because, as we all know, who you date does affect the status of how your car engine works.

What?

Anyway, two transmissions and a timing belt breaking and runing my engine, God’s spanking was aparently supposed to be evident to all. Repentance was nigh, and God’s providential love had allowed all this to happen to bring me back into a right state with him and his people. Whom he loves he disciplines.

Fast forward ten years and now a friend of mine, Kimmy, from TB just bought a new car and it is having the exact same things happen to it. This is the second time she’s had the tranny worked on (check), and she just told me she thinks the timing belt is going (check – mine went!). So, I wonder, what sin is she committing that God would chasten her so.

Oh, I forgot, she doesn’t profess to be a Christian.

Then why is this happening to her!? Maybe it’s just apart of every day life. Cars break down. It’s how it goes. Oh.

Promotional Flyers for our Dec 3rd Gathering

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the flyers one will be able to see around Mancelona leading up to
our first public gathering of The Prodigal Project… (click to view larger)

Erwin – a M U S T hear

Erwin McManus is doing a series on Life’s Toughest Questions @ Mosaic. I heard this message, and was B L O W N away by it. It’s a must hear!

Now that is not the guy who played Obi-won on the new Star War movies…

"ONE" Vote

Lesson of the day

Don’t travel without a spare tire and a jack set.

For obvious reasons.

Yeah, three and a half hours late, I made it to work…

Smallville Season 6

What started a month or so ago had finally come to a close. Or so I thought.

After renting and borrowing Smallville Seasons 1-5, and finishing 5 yesterday, I thought I was going to have to wait till a) I could afford cable, or b) until it came out on DVD to watch the next season of Smallville.

But, I was wrong!

YouTube to the rescue!!

YES! I stayed up late last night (after learning that YouTube had S.6) watching the first episode of season 6! Fired up! So, as I’m scanning season titles on some of the Smallville pages, I see that episode 11 or something is called “Justice” and has Cyborg, Aguaman, Flash, and Green Arrow in it. Sweet!

Thank you YouTube! You have allowed my addiction to continue!

You’re Invited!

Group: Mancelona

Well, it’s settled. We’re going bowling on Sunday December 3rd.

But, we wont be doing so until after our first public gathering as a new church plant in Mancelona!

Mancelona Lanes has agreed to let us use their bowling alley as a gathering place for our public gathering, for free, as long as afterward we go bowling with our group! Not a tough sell, really!

So, we’re hoping to get the word out in creative and natural ways to invite people to come and hear some good news in the form of a story of a young man who leaves everything on bad terms only to come back to find unconditional love and acceptance.

In between now and then we are putting more time into our Nursing Home Ministry. This month we’re hoping to be involved in one of their game nights to spend time with the residents as well as putting on an Entertainment Time for them on Sunday @ 2pm. Brandi came up with the brilliant idea of doing a talent show for the residents. Everyone will be involved, and you could hardly contain the excitment and ideas flowing from our group last night as we discussed it.

So, in ways that I never predicted, we’re moving forward as a group and reaching out as a group. Please keep us in your prayers…